Profane Ascendant-Chapter 50: On both sides

Cyn walked slowly. He knew there was no escape route left for them.

Once they reached the place where the corpses had been left behind, they would panic.

And that was exactly what happened.

With a mocking smile and a sarcastic tone, Cyn walked among the bodies, his eyes fixed on the crossroads ahead.

"Didn't expect this, did you? This is bigger than just a piece of underwear."

"Tch!"

Cyn heard the grinding of teeth. Suppressed rage seeped through as the voice spoke coldly,

"Just a piece of underwear!"

Whoosh!

Cyn sensed danger rushing toward him and tilted his head slightly to the left.

The person behind him cursed,

"Damn it! Do you have eyes on the back of your head?!"

The place was dark. Yet somehow, the man before him had avoided a dagger aimed at the back of his head.

What kind of reaction speed was that?

Cyn could not see the ones behind him, but he felt their presence—three in front, two behind.

He was surrounded.

Cyn thought calmly,

"Well… I suppose someone should stop eating and whining and actually start working. I need that energy."

Naturally, he was referring to his Scar.

"Whether it's an Sympathetic hic link or an energy-routing pathway—let's release some power."

Cyn activated his Scar.

Warmth and heat flooded his body. Power surged through him, energy flowing in an abnormal pattern, as if it were piercing him from the inside, carving out its own paths so it could move freely.

Cyn tried to surprise the two behind him, closing the distance as fast as possible. He tensed his legs like a predator ready to pounce, spun around, clenched his fist, and struck—

Only for the punch to hit nothing.

There was no one there.

"I'm certain they were behind me. The attack came from here."

"Hehehe… matches the description. Black-haired, tall, savage—and handsome. Fits Valgean's description perfectly. But he got one thing wrong."

"You're not strong."

Swish!

Cyn dodged several daggers aimed at him, even catching one with his bare hand. It dripped with something resembling water. Cyn recognized it instantly—a type of poison.

He smiled calmly.

"Why are your subordinates trembling? Even after all that talk… Is it because they can't hit me?"

"You know there's no way for you to defeat me. The path ahead is already sealed."

A mocking laugh echoed from the same place.

"Your self-evaluation is far too high. Just because you nearly defeated Valgean—who doesn't even rank among the top five of the Raging Floods."

"And believe me when I say this—you have no idea how many ways I have to leave this place."

Cyn replied indifferently,

"I can tell you're lying. If you were confident you could defeat me, you would have come out already."

"No one else is coming from behind me. Your other subordinates have already been dealt with by now."

"All that's left… is you."

"Ah… if only you could see your friend Tristan. I skinned him alive—don't worry, he's still breathing."

"I'll catch you rats and do the same to you. You're nothing more than my personal test subjects."

"So come on, Ramon. Just surrender."

Cyn felt the air change.

They were afraid. There was no exit left—otherwise, they would have taken it long ago.

A voice filled with desperation and anger replied,

"Enough with the nonsense and threats! You know the rules here well."

"Fighting is forbidden. It will bring consequences you truly don't want."

"Just leave, and we'll consider your attack—and all the losses you caused—something of the past."

"And just like that… we're even."

Cyn pondered for a moment.

"So that's how it is… when you hold power over your enemy."

With a faint chuckle, he clenched his fist.

"This is the entrance to the underworld?. We're in no need for it right now"

Ramon didn't understand what Cyn meant, but he listened.

Cyn continued calmly,

"I mean, I have my own path beneath the branch. It just needs an opening. And a gate."

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Ramon demanded harshly.

Then—out of nowhere—something shifted.

Something was coming.

A storm.

Dust began falling from the ceiling.

BAAAAANG!

"Well, I might just destroy it," Cyn said with a smile.

Ramon and his men froze in shock.

"What the hell was that?!"

"An earthquake?!"

Thump! Thud!

The sound of bodies slamming into the ground echoed nearby.

Cyn smiled.

"I didn't know it was raining people these days. So you were hanging from the ceiling."

"How stupid."

Crack! Snap!

Ramon heard bones shatter and screams cut short. The sounds came from Cyn's direction.

Which meant his subordinates were dead.

What was he supposed to do now?

What choice did he have left—other than fighting?

"Damn you, Valgean! If he had just killed you back then, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Ramon cursed him, then recalled something.

Valgean had mentioned fighting something like moving tree trunks… and flowers covering the man's body.

But there were no trunks here now.

He couldn't see clearly in the darkness, but—

Cyn wasn't foolish enough to rush them at the crossroads.

The best option was to bury them under the debris of this passage—unless they chose to move.

Which Cyn doubted.

"Come on, Ramon. Staying there?"

"Your subordinates seem to have accepted their graves."

"What about you?"

Cyn mocked him, then noticed something—a fleeting shadow darting out from the crossroads.

"So you decided to move," Cyn smiled inwardly.

He clenched his fist. His fingers cracked as he waited for the shadow rushing toward him.

"Yes… closer… closer…"

BAAANG!

Cyn froze.

His punch struck only air.

There was no one there.

"What was that?"

Like a ghost.

But then—something else.

Footsteps retreating.

Ramon's voice echoed from behind him, mocking,

"Seems I overestimated you! Hahaha! Catch me if you can!"

Cyn didn't understand what had happened, but he sensed two people still at the crossroads ahead.

Which meant Ramon had abandoned his remaining subordinates.

Cyn slammed his fists into the walls with all his strength.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crack!

The walls shattered and split apart. With four strikes, everything collapsed.

At least this path would be sealed behind him.

Now—he had to chase.

"What was that?" Cyn asked.

The Scar replied,

"Most likely his Scar as well… though I didn't sense any Scar energy from him."

"You think it's a sacred Halo?" Cyn guessed.

"Well, I dunno," the Scar replied indifferently—as if telling him to deal with it himself.

Cyn returned to the large hall.

The Scar guided him.

"He hasn't gone far. He's heading to regroup with the others. Take this path."

Cyn glanced at the sign and smiled.

The Screaming Arena.

---

"ARRRGH! F***! What is he made of?!"

Heavy breathing echoed through the arena. There were no matches scheduled today, so the place was empty—just cages, iron fences, and dim, unnatural light.

The ground was muddy, soaked with blood and water mixed together.

Remnants of past clashes littered the floor—broken teeth, eyeballs, bones.

Splash! Splash!

Footsteps echoed through the water. Weapons scraped against the ground and iron bars.

Four remained.

One had already fallen.

They stared at the demon before them.

He smiled with sharp eyes.

They were seasoned fighters—but not difficult enough to be dealt with.

In their panic, clashing weapons sent rats and massive rodents scurrying from their holes—bloated from feeding on human remains.

This was the Screaming Arena.

Where the winner's name was written in blood.

And the loser became food for rats to feast on.

---

Miguel was surrounded by four men.

He was confident he could defeat them, even though he was slightly exhausted from their relentless assaults.

He glanced at the corpse he had split cleanly in half.

"Hmph… they're scared. They know they'll die the same way."

"And now each one is waiting for the other to make the first move."

"If that's the case…"

"Then I'll be the one who strikes first."

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Light footsteps echoed.

"Get ready! He's coming!"

Slash!

Steel clashed. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Screams followed.

"Damn it! What is this?! He's not holding a sword!"

"But every time he swings his hands—it's like he's wielding an invisible blade!"

Panic consumed them.

Their minds couldn't keep up.

Their eyes refused to believe it.

The madness in the man before them terrified them.

Why wasn't he afraid?

They outnumbered him. They were better armed. Their levels were similar.

Could it be that he was—

The thought they hadn't dared consider finally crossed their minds.

"A Scar Bearer!!!?—